Dodgers earn spot in Mack title game

TROY >> It took extra innings for the South Troy Dodgers to advance to the New York State Connie Mack championship with a 3-2 victory over the Clifton Park/Gators.

In its previous three games, South Troy had defeated its opponents by a total score of 21-0. It was a much different game at Knickerbacker Park Saturday morning, as Clifton Park gave the Dodgers just about everything they could handle.

“That’s one of the best baseball games I’ve ever been a part of,” South Troy coach Chris Sand said. “Clifton Park is always good. In my opinion, other than us, they’re the best organization around here.”

The seventh inning ended with the score tied at two. South Troy scored the game-winning run in the top of the eighth inning. Marist-bound Andrew Rouse hit a one-out single, then stole second.

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“I battled back from 1-2 down,” Rouse said. “Coach told me to stay back and hit the line drive through, we were just waiting for a spark.

“When Pudge got on, everyone in the park knew he was going to steal the bag,” Sand said.

Gage Lanning followed with an RBI double, the game-winning hit.

“I had to fight off a lot of pitches,” Lanning said. “I think it was a 10 or 11 pitch at bat until I got a good pitch I could hit. I hut it up the middle.”

Clifton Park put its first two batters on base in the bottom of the eighth. Sand brought in Jimmy Hamilton to replace starting pitcher Joe Guerette. Guerette scattered five hits over more than a complete game.

“This is the biggest game he’s ever pitched in his life,” Sand said. “For him to come out here like that and give us that kind of performance is unmeasurable. I can’t say enough about the kid’s heart.”

“They were a really great team,” Guerette said. “They have some great hitters, so it was hard to get on top of them. I finally found a little groove and started pinging the corners. Things happened, I let my defense do that work.”

Hamilton pitched a complete game shutout on Thursday. On just two days rest, he entered a one-run game with two on and no outs.

“In college, I came on in a lot of tough spots, so I’m kind of used to it,” Hamilton said. “I knew my defense would have my back. I wasn’t really nervous at all, it’s something you live for.”

Things got more uncomfortable when Hamilton hit the first batter he faced. Clifton Park had the bases loaded with no outs.

Hamilton forced the next batter to pop out to Lanning behind the plate. Shortstop Kyle Ruth then caught a line-drive on the next at bat for out number two. The next Clifton Park batter hit a hard line drive straight back to the mound. Hamilton made a remarkable catch to end the game.

“That was definitely the hardest hit ball I’ve ever had hit back at my,” he said. “It was crazy, I just threw my glove up and it went right in.”

The loss eliminated Clifton Park, who went 20-0 in ins regular season. Head coach Bill Behrle said fatigue cause some mental errors after the Gators played 12 games in under a week to end the season.

“We had two tough games this tournament,” Behrle said. “We came out a little bit flat and it kind of bit us in the long run.”

“Kalish is the Section 2 pitcher of the year. He gave it all he had out there,” Behrle said.

South Troy advanced to the state championship at 5 p.m. at Knickerbacker. With a win, the Dodgers would be state Connie Mack champions. A loss would mean an extra, winner-takes-all game Sunday morning.